A New Telepath in Town
by katiekat19946
Summary: When Eric discovers that there is another telepath in the greater Shreveport area, he starts the process of making her his - his toy, his tool, or his snack, he hasn't quite decided yet. Eric/OC
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I own nothing that you recognize from True Blood. I'm just playing in their world for fun.

This story takes place towards the end of season one/beginning of season two.

Chapter One

"But I really don't think this is a good idea, Shay."

Johana groaned her friends nickname and ran a hand through her red hair as her friend pulled her along towards the front door of Fangtasia. It was a Friday night, the music was loud and raucous behind the door, and a beautiful blonde woman watched them approach.

"Listen to me, Jo, all you do is sit around and write. I get it, it's your job, but you have got to start having some fun in your life! We are celebrating the publishing of your fifth book tonight and you're going to enjoy yourself if it kills you!" Alecia twirled in front of her, her bouncy blonde curls swirling around her head and a grin on her face.

Johana shook her head slightly but she couldn't suppress a smile herself. Alecia had a certain air about her, and her happiness was infectious. She had a way of making Johana happy even when she was in her darkest space, and it had been that way for the 27 years they'd known one another.

"It just might kill me. You know I don't like to be around crowds. It makes things… harder." Johana half-whispered, pulling Alecia to a stop and turning her around so they were face to face.

Alecia faltered slightly, but shook her head. "You're going to do fine. Look – we're holding hands and you don't want to kill me. You blocked me out, right?"

Jo could feel Alecia's thoughts on the edge of her consciousness, buzzing like an incessant gnat that wanted nothing more than to break through her barrier and invade her sacred space. She caught portions of thoughts – excitement at bringing her friend to this bar, arousal for the woman at the door, and something deeper… fuzzy and repressed… almost fleeting, as if Alecia didn't even know what she was thinking.

Jo rolled her eyes and glanced at the woman at the door, her green eyes locking with the dark blue of the woman. The woman was a vampire, Jo could tell simply by the way her thoughts were perfectly ordered and packed away. Even the youngest of vampires, the most wild and untrained, had a way about ordering their thoughts, with the hunger for blood the most dominant. It was something that was hardwired into them and it would always trump any other thought process they had. Vampires were hard to read but not impossible, particularly if she initiated physical contact.

"I know that you've fucked little miss hot pants over there and if I don't get in your way tonight, you plan to do it again."

Alecia had the decency to blush, but then she sighed exasperatedly. "But is that because you read my mind or because you've known me since we were in the womb?" Alecia returned to pulling Jo towards the door and as they got closer, she greeted the vampire woman.

"Pam. This is a friend of mine."

_Is this the friend we've heard about?_

The thought drifted towards Jo and she had to fight the urge to glare at her best friend. She had a big mouth when she was drunk and trying to get laid, but most people simply thought she was crazy when she said her best friend could read minds.

"ID, please, friend of Alecia."

Johana pulled her ID out of her back pocket and handed it to the woman, careful to avoid any physical contact. Pam examined the driver's license then handed it back to Jo.

"Welcome to Fangtasia. Enjoy your night."

Alecia giggled and grabbed Jo's arm again, dragging her towards the door and inside the bar. The music, atmosphere, and sheer number of thoughts hit Jo like a freight train. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and focused on building up the barrier around her mind as Alecia guided her through the bodies in the room. They came to a stop and Jo leaned against her friends back, curling her arm around Alecia's waist and opening her eyes as she regained control. They had stopped at the bar, and Alecia was ordering.

"Four shots of tequila, a Cosmo, and a Shirley Temple black, please!"

The bartender nodded at Alecia and set to making their order after she set her debit card down on the bar to open a tab. Alecia patted Jo's hand absentmindedly as she looked around the bar and slowly turned to look at the rest of the room. Jo glanced around, noticing most of the human men watching their intimate stance and she smirked. You weren't truly best friends if people didn't think you were a couple at least once a week. Alecia grounded Jo, though; she had been with Jo through every part of her exploration of her gifts and was as supportive as anyone could have hoped for.

"Ready." The bartender half growled behind them and they turned to see 4 shot glasses and their two drinks sitting on the bar.

Alecia grinned over at Jo. "Come on. 2 shots a piece and maybe you'll finally relax, yeah?"

Jo smiled back at her and they each reached for a shot glass. They clinked them together, knocked them against the bar, then downed them quickly in succession. They both laughed and coughed slightly, putting the shot glasses back on the bar and picking up their respective drinks – the Cosmo for Alecia and Shirley Temple for Jo.

"Come on, let's go dance!"

Jo knew that those words would be next out of Alecia's mouth, but she allowed herself to be drug out on to the dance floor by Alecia. She took a couple of sips of her drink and dropped it on a table they passed by. Jo was starting to feel the alcohol, and she started to relax since her mental barrier seemed to be holding fairly well. There were plenty of gnats buzzing around the exterior edges of her mind, the occasional fully formed thought slipping through, but she was handling it well. And she was damn proud of herself for doing so. She and Alecia danced for a while, enjoying themselves and blocking everything out around them. Alecia grabbed Jo's arm and spun her into her before twirling her back out, and that was when Jo locked eyes with the man sitting on the throne at the front of the room.

Silence.

That was what she heard, or rather, what she didn't hear. It was complete and utter silence. The buzzing, the gnats – they were gone. She couldn't hear anything. Jo dropped Alecia's hand and took a step towards the man – vampire? Jo imagined he was a vampire because of his pristine features and distinct sense of authority. He tilted his head to the side and lifted his hand, motioning with a twitch of his fingers that she should come closer.

"Jo."

She could hear Alecia behind her, but she didn't acknowledge the woman.

"Johana Elizabeth."

Jo swatted behind her, indicating that Alecia should hush, and she walked up to the vampire, stopping directly in front of him.

He was tall, even sitting down. At least 6'4", dressed in boots, dark pants, and a black jacket over his bare chest. His blonde hair was cut short and his grey eyes were scanning her as well. Eric took in her black and white vans, denim jeans, and black tank top, with her long red hair pulled in front of her right shoulder and reaching down towards the bottom of her breast. She was a small person in height, barely 5', but she was rather… plump. She had thick hips and a stomach, and her breasts were a nice size as well.

Johana was still amazed by the fact that as long as she focused on the vampire, she could hear nothing of anyone else's thoughts. And she couldn't hear his. She startled herself, and possibly him, though he didn't show it, by straddling him and placing her hands on either side of his face. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him lift his left hand and dismiss a couple of vampires that had stepped forward at her actions.

"Can I help you?" He asked calmly, staring into her eyes.

"I can't hear you. I can't hear anything." She replied, her eyes searching his face and pressing her hands harder against his cold flesh. "Why can't I hear you?"

"I take it you do not mean that you cannot hear my voice. Is it my mind you cannot hear?" He asked, leaning towards her and setting her off balance. His movement jarred Jo back into reality, and she jerked her hands off his face and backed away, making to climb off his lap, but he put one hand on her lower back and wrapped the other around her thigh. The pressure was gentle, but it stayed her movement. "I am Eric. And you must be Alecia's telepathic friend."

Jo instantly regretted letting go of Eric's face, or maybe she regretted touching him in the first place, either way, regret bloomed in her chest as she felt her mental wall crumble to nothing and the thoughts and emotions of every person in the room flood her head. She whimpered and put her hands to her head, biting her inner cheek to keep from screaming at the sheer overload. She hadn't been this vulnerable since she was a child and was just learning how to block others out; it was like touching Eric had erased every sense of control she had over her powers.

"What did you do to her?" The accusatory tone in Alecia's voice came from directly behind Jo, and she felt her friends hand glide through her hair.

"I did nothing. Your friend is the one who climbed into my lap and touched me, without permission." Eric growled back, and Jo could feel the vibrations of his voice.

"The wall. It's gone." Jo gritted out between clenched teeth, breathing hard as she tried start blocking everything out again. It wasn't working; the bricks on her mental wall kept disappearing every time she tried to add a second one. Through the cacophony of voices in her head, a thought of her own formed, and she decided to follow it through.

She grabbed the hand that was on her thigh, and the only voice inside her head was hers.

"Fuck." She panted the word out, then opened her eyes and looked at Eric. He was staring at her, intrigued, but at this point Jo just wanted to get back to the safety and quiet of her own home. "I have to get out of here."

"So let's go, Jojo." Alecia grabbed Jo's other hand and started to pull her off of Eric, but Jo jerked away from her touch as if she were burned and almost curled into Eric. Everything Alecia was feeling and thinking coursed into Jo like poison, jolting her.

"Don't touch me." Jo said, but it came out as more of a whimper. She didn't know how she was going to make it back to her apartment at this point. The moment she stopped the skin to skin contact with Eric, everything would just come rushing back. She wouldn't make it halfway across the room, let alone the 3 blocks to her apartment.

"Tell me how to help." Alecia's voice was desperate, and hurt, but she tried to hide it.

Jo didn't know what to do. She started to bite her lip, running scenarios through her head, but each one ended up with her curled in a ball in the middle of Fangtasia's floor.

"Perhaps I can assist." Eric's silky voice cut through her thoughts. "But I would require a favor in return, to be redeemed at a later date. And, of course, we do this on my terms."

"Are you fucking with me right now?" Jo scoffed, narrowing her eyes at him. "You're the goddamn reason I'm in this position. I've had control of this most of my life, and then you come along and blow it all to hell."

Eric was nose to nose with Jo before should blink, and when she tried to pull her hand away from his, he gripped it tightly. "You initiated the contact, little human. All of this, you did to yourself." He relaxed back into this throne, but kept his grip on her hand and lower back. "Now, as I said, I can provide assistance to you so that you can leave with as little mental anguish as possible. All I ask is for a favor in return."

Johana glanced over at Alecia and she didn't need to read her mind to know what Alecia was thinking – don't do it. "I can carry you out of here, Jojo." Alecia said desperately.

Jo snorted. "Alecia, you can't even lift my fat ass. And I don't relish the thought of you dragging me out of this bar and 3 blocks my apartment." Jo worried at her bottom lip again before turning her eyes to Eric. "Got any idea of what that favor might be?"

Eric smirked then half shrugged his shoulder. "In my line of work, it's never a bad idea to have a telepath owe you a favor."

Jo sighed, then nodded slightly. "Okay, I agree. Now can you get me out of here?"

In an instant, Jo was standing with Eric beside her, his hand now wrapped around her elbow. She was caught off guard by the action, but she recovered quickly enough. She looked over at Alecia and found Pam standing beside her friend.

"Pam, I shall return once I'm done escorting our new friend home. Keep Alecia occupied, will you?" Both Alecia and Jo started to protest, and Eric squeezed Jo's elbow. "My terms, yes? Your friend stays here, or goes to her own home."

Jo nodded, and forced a smile at Alecia. "Go home and snuggle the Captain, okay? I'll text you later." Jo referenced Alecia's cat to help her feel more at ease, but Alecia didn't look comforted. "I can handle myself."

Eric started walking before Alecia could respond, and Johana hurried to catch up before he began dragging her by her arm. They crossed the room and went out the front door, and Jo was practically jogging to keep up with Eric's long strides.

"Okay, I'm going to need for you to slow the fuck down. I have little legs." She panted slightly as she attempted to keep up. Eric glanced back at her with a look of contempt, but shortened his strides slightly so that she was walking almost beside him.

"Where do you live?"

"Apartments on Main. We take a left up here."

Eric nodded slightly and they continued in silence. Jo took the opportunity to go over the events of the night in her head, slightly enjoying the fact that she didn't have to have her guard up every time someone walked past them. It was refreshing to have blissful silence in her head. Then again, it was unnerving that she could not hear anything from Eric's mind – that had never happened before. She had never met someone who she couldn't hear their thoughts in some capacity. What unnerved her even more was the effect touching him had had on her mental barriers. That was dangerous, clearly. She had to have him escort her home so that she wasn't completely overwhelmed by the people she passed.

They stopped in front of the entrance to her apartment building, and Jo looked up at Eric.

"Thank you, I guess, for doing this. I honestly don't know what happened, or what it is about you that caused it." Jo stepped away from him and pulled her keys out of her pocket, scanning her fob on the security panel so that the door clicked and unlocked. She reached to open the door, but Eric had pulled it open before she could.

"After you." He said, nodding her inside.

Jo didn't move. "Uh, I think I'll be fine from here. If there's anyone in the halls, I should be able to handle it."

Eric stared at her. "That was not the deal."

Jo sighed, shrugged, and continued inside with Eric behind her. She went to the elevator and hit the call button. "I live on the eighth floor." She said as a way of explanation. The rode the elevator in silence, exited, and Jo walked to her apartment door. "This is it. Obligation fulfilled." She lifted her keys to the deadbolt and was going to unlock the door when the keys were snatched out of her hand.

She jerked her head to look at Eric, who had them in his left hand. "Before you enter, and effectively become unreachable, there are the terms of our agreement to discuss."

"Yeah, I owe you a favor. You know where I live now, so you can let me know when you need something." Jo snarked at him, giving him a glare. "Now give me my keys."

Eric smirked slightly, stepping forward and backing Jo in to the door. She craned her neck up to look at him, and he moved his hand from her elbow to her chin. "I do know where you live, but that doesn't give me much comfort knowing that you'll uphold your end of our agreement."

"I give you my word. What else do you want?"

His smirk turned into a cold grin. "I'm so glad you asked. Once you ingest my blood, I'll be able to find you. Anywhere. Those are my terms."

"You want me to drink your blood? Are you insane?" Jo scoffed and tried to wriggle free from him, but Eric gripped her chin so tight it started to hurt.

"You don't really have a choice, Johana."

It was the first time Jo had heard him say her name, and it sent a shiver down her spine. She watched him lift his other hand to his mouth, and his fangs extended. She gasped slightly and watched as he cut his thumb and blood sprouted from the tip. He put his thumb to her mouth and she stared at him.

"Quickly, Johana, before it heals. And before I lose my patience." He pressed his thumb to her lips and she parted them, though she wasn't entirely sure why she acquiesced. Reflex, maybe? "Suck." Jo would have rolled her eyes at the irony of a man putting something in her mouth and telling her to suck, but it didn't seem like the best time. She sucked at his thumb, feeling the liquid slide down her throat. She felt something wash over her. It was exhilarating; almost something she would compare to taking drugs.

Eric pulled his thumb out of her mouth, dragging it down her bottom lip and smirking. "Good girl."

Jo shivered, trying to get ahold of her senses. She had heard of people taking vampire blood because it had certain effects, but she wasn't expecting this. Never mind the fact that she'd just sucked the thumb of a giant, gorgeous vampire who she now owed a favor to.

"Can I have my keys now?" She asked, trying to calm her breathing and her heart rate.

"Of course." Eric pulled the key ring out of his pocked and handed them to her. She turned, unlocked the door, and stepped inside before turning back to tell him goodbye, but he was gone.

"I am so screwed." Jo sighed, closing the door and locking the deadbolt before resting her forehead on the door. "So fucking screwed."

* * *

Eric walked slowly back to Fangtasia, not feeling the need to use his inhuman speed at the moment. He was most definitely intrigued by the new telepath he'd just met, and greatly appreciative that her best friend had a big mouth and an attraction to Pam. It was easy to glamour the girl into bringing Johana to Fangtasia so that he could observe her; meeting her and discovering that she could in fact read the minds of vampires was an additional perk. And finding out that she could not read his thoughts was even more interesting, and that he apparently caused some sort of breakdown in her abilities. She was different from Sookie in many ways, from her telepathic abilities to her overall demeanor and appearance.

Still, though, he desired her. Rather, he desired to own her so that he could use her abilities for his gain continually, not just once in return for a favor. And she smelled delectable. The entire time she was in his lap at Fangtasia and while he had her against the door, he had wanted nothing more than to sink his fangs into her neck and drain every drop of blood out of her. She was practically intoxicating. He supposed it was a good thing that Johana was unable to read his mind, as she would likely have locked herself away in her apartment indefinitely if she had heard his thoughts.

Pam met him at the front door. "Well? Did she meet your expectations?"

"Yes, I think she would give Sookie a run for her money. If Alecia is to be believed, which I think she is, Johana's only gift isn't telepathy. And she has trained herself well, if you remove what happened here tonight from the equation." Eric walked to his office, Pam following and shutting the door as Eric settled in his chair behind the desk.

"Yes, what was that? Did you do something to her?"

"I did nothing. She simply initiated physical contact upon realizing she could not read my mind, and I apparently block out everything else as well. After stopping that contact, she was left weakened and vulnerable."

Pam nodded slightly. "And do you intend to make her yours?"

"I do. Now, whether she does so willingly will determine how it occurs. Humans are easy to manipulate and I would prefer to have her willing. If I used fear and intimidation to try and control her, I don't think I would get positive results."

"Well then, looks like you'll have to be your regular charming self."

"Hm, so it would seem."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: You may have noticed that I upped the rating to M. It should be expected since it's Eric, but I had to let you know.

Chapter Two

Nearly two months passed since the night at Fangtasia and Johana had regained most of her control of her abilities again. It took her almost three weeks before she was able to leave her apartment, and Alecia had to bring her groceries to the apartment so that she had something to eat. To be fair, Jo didn't leave her apartment for very much except to run errands and occasionally go to her favorite bookstore to write on a normal basis, but her inability to leave whenever she wished was really starting to grate on her nerves. She was a night owl for the most part, preferring to spend her time awake while most of the city of Shreveport was asleep because it provided less interaction with people, and spending every day cooped up in her apartment made the space start to shrink until she couldn't breathe. Cooking, reading, and writing, her three usual distractions, offered no respite from her cabin fever.

And she couldn't stop thinking about Eric. She wanted to know why his touch had that effect on her abilities, and she wanted to know why she couldn't read his mind at all. There was also the small fact that she dreamed about him constantly. Deeply inappropriate dreams that left her wanting and panting. Jo couldn't decide whether this was intended or a just a side effect of Eric wanting to be able to track her easily.

Jo rolled her eyes at that thought. _You know that it's just because he wants to be able to track you. As if a vampire, a gorgeous one surrounded by gorgeous and willing human and vampire women, would want you. He just wants to use you for his own gain. _

Johana wasn't an idiot. She was pretty in a girl next door that needed to lose a few pounds kind of way. But she wasn't beautiful like Alecia or any other commonly accepted standard of beauty. The dreams constantly reminded her that she was alone and in need, and hadn't dated in almost 5 years because of the disastrous end that relationship had met.

On this Wednesday evening, Johana was pacing throughout her apartment. She'd been up since about 4 that afternoon and it was nearing 9 that evening, and she was restless. She'd written for a few hours but everything that she put out was absolute crap, she'd tried to read for a little while but couldn't focus, and nothing on the television interested her. She wanted out; she needed fresh air, and more than opening her windows could provide. Making her decision, she walked over to her desk and shoved her laptop inside of her backpack. Perhaps a change of venue would help her be able to focus more. Jo shoved her feet into her vans, slung the backpack over her shoulder, and paused at the door. She was wearing jean shorts and another tank top, blue this time, but the bookstore she was going to sometimes kept it a little chilly. She shrugged and decided against going back for the jacket, heading out the door and towards the elevator.

Her feet hit the sidewalk outside of the apartment building and she took a deep breath. The air was a little muggy and it was still hot, but it was better than being stuck inside her apartment. As Jo started walking towards the bookstore, she put her headphones on and turned on her iPod, then she ran her fingers through her hair and started twisting it into a braid, pulling the hair tie from her wrist and finishing it off. As she finished the twenty minute walk to the bookstore, it occurred to her that she would regret not taking her car if a thunderstorm popped up.

She opened the door and breathed in the smell of coffee and books. Paradise. A small smile spread across her face and she looked over at the clerk behind the counter.

"Hey Charlie, how's it goin'?" She asked, settling her headphones around her neck and walking over to the small café area.

"Doing fine, Jo. How are you? It's been a while." Charlie responded, following her over and watching her settle in at her favorite table. Charlie owned the store and preferred to work the night shift, especially since they started staying open later to accommodate the newly outed vampire population. "The usual?"

"Please. And yeah, I've been busy lately. You know, lots of writing." Jo published under a pseudonym to avoid having to deal with large crowds and book signings, but she had shared her secret Charlie as they bonded over her late night writing sessions. Her books weren't as famous as some, but they were popular enough that her publisher had asked her to reveal her real name and do a book tour or two; Jo declined vehemently.

Jo walked over to the coffee counter and took the vanilla latte from Charlie, handing him the $5 bill that was their custom. "I'm going to browse for a while and then try and get some writing done. You still staying open until 2?"

"Yes ma'am. Although, sometimes I think I stay open that late just so that you have a place to write." Charlie joked, winking at her. Jo smiled and shook her head, thanking him for the coffee and disappearing into the bookcases.

She sipped her coffee as she browsed, pulling a couple of books off the shelves as she went. _It's just research,_ she told herself as she picked up 5 books that she wanted to read. _Good writers get better the more that they read. _Jo paused as she reached a section that was new to her. There was a bookcase with about 3 shelves dedicated to non-fiction books about vampires. Intrigued, she set her stack of anticipated purchases on the floor and started looking through the vampire books. She was holding a book called "He Made Me His," and according to the back cover, it was about a woman who entered into a relationship with a vampire. And the author had apparently described their sex life in great detail.

Jo paused as she felt the air behind her change and she felt someone behind her. She turned and found Eric standing behind her, frighteningly close. He was again dressed in all black – his pants, tank top, and leather jacket contrasting with his pale white skin.

"Fucking hell. Where did you come from?"

Eric grinned. "What is now Sweden, for the most part. But that was a long time ago." He took the book from her hand and scanned the back cover before looking back at her. "Doing some research?" The stubble on his face made him even more handsome than she remembered, but then again she had always had a thing for facial hair.

"I was just looking. This section is new." Jo blushed and snatched the book back, careful not to touch his hands, before putting it back in its place on the shelf. "Are you here to buy a book? I could make some recommendations if you'd like."

She bent down to pick up her stack from the floor and smirked up at him before taking a sip of her coffee. Eric lifted his hand towards her face to brush a piece of hair out of her face that had come out of the braid and she jerked back, nearly shouting, "Do not touch me!"

Charlie appeared at the end of the aisle, looking concerned. "Jo? Everything okay?"

Eric and Jo looked down the aisle at Charlie, and Jo nodded. "Yeah, everything's fine Charlie. He's a… it's fine." Jo had almost said that Eric was a friend but that was far from the truth. She heard Charlie's thought of disbelief that everything was okay, but he still left. Jo turned on her heel and headed back towards her table at the café, drinking more of her coffee to try and calm herself. The thought of being reverted back to that helpless state terrified her, and the fact that Eric could undo almost two months of work with a simple touch was unnerving.

"A bit of an overreaction, do you not think?" Eric murmured behind her.

She tossed an irritated glance over her shoulder at him and found that smug smirk firmly fixed on his face.

"You have no idea the damage that you did. I spent the last two months basically locked in my apartment, trying to rebuild my defenses. I could barely talk to Alecia without being overwhelmed, let alone leave and interact with the world." Jo hissed at him as she sat her books on the café table she had claimed and turned to face him. "What are you doing here?"

Eric glanced down at the stack of books and started to go through them, pausing at the English translation of Gösta Berling's Saga by Paul Norlen. "Are you a fan of Swedish novels? Or are you hoping to garner my favor?"

Jo rolled her eyes at him. "It was published in 1891 in Swedish; the new English translation just came out and I don't have a copy of it. Who doesn't enjoy a tale of revelry and redemption?" She motioned for him to put the book back on the pile. "Were you human then? Did you live in Sweden?"

Eric put the book down and took a seat at the table. Jo sighed, realizing that she wasn't going to be rid of him any time soon, and sat down as well. "I have been a vampire for over a thousand years. I do, however, enjoy following the continued evolution of the culture." He leaned forward, clasped his hands together on top of the table, and met her eyes. Charlie's thoughts on the edge of Jo's consciousness disappeared, and she started to bite at her lower lip. "I've come to redeem my favor, little human. I'm in need of some assistance in locating an individual, and I think that you would be helpful."

Jo nodded. "Alright. I can do that. What do you need me to do?"

"We'll be traveling to Dallas to take care of this. I'll need you packed and ready to leave by one o'clock+; I'll send a car to pick you up and take you to the airport."

"Wait a minute. Your favor didn't include me leaving Shreveport. What's in Dallas that is so important?"

Jo watched his jaw clench and she resisted the urge to swallow hard. He looked menacing when he did that. "That is what I require for our deal to be fulfilled. I'll need you to follow my instructions and be as minimally irritating as possible. Not all vampires have as much restraint as I do when it comes to humans."

"I'm going to be in real danger if I do this, aren't I?" Jo's heartbeat picked up and she tried to calm herself.

"You will be in real danger if you do not, little human. Remember, I apparently have the ability to render you incapacitated, if necessary. Not to mention the fact that it would please me greatly to drain every drop of blood from you." Eric stood up, then leaned down to whisper in her ear, his lips dangerously close to touching her ear. "You smell delicious." He straightened himself and began walking away. "Be ready at one." He said over his shoulder, and then he was gone.

Jo sat at her table clutching her coffee cup for a few minutes before Charlie made his way over to her. "You alright darlin'?" he asked quietly, looking down at her.

"Mhm." Jo hummed, gulping down her coffee quickly. "I'll take another for the road, Charlie, if you don't mind. It seems that I'm going out of town tonight and I'll need the help staying awake."

Charlie hesitated for a moment before heading back behind the café counter, and Jo reached out with her mind and listened. She didn't like to invade people's privacy like this, but it seemed like Charlie was holding something back.

_Lord I hope she knows what she's doing, getting wrapped up with vampires. Such a sweet girl doesn't deserve to be in danger like that._

Jo smiled to herself as she picked up her bag and took her books to the checkout counter. Charlie was a good man and it made her feel good that he was worried about her, almost like a father would. Jo rolled her eyes at the thought. _You have so many daddy issues, girl, it's ridiculous_, she thought to herself. Charlie came back up front with her second latte and added up the total together. She paid, adding in an $8 tip for him just because, and packed her new books away in her backpack.

"I'll see you soon, Charlie. Promise." She shot him a grin as she left, and he waved back at her with a sad smile. She hoped that she wasn't lying to him.

* * *

Alecia was spread out on Jo's bed as Jo paced the room, an open and empty carry-on sized suitcase on her bed.

"I cannot believe that you're actually going to go to Dallas with Eric. This is a bad, bad plan, Jojo."

Jo threw her packed bag of toiletries into the suitcase and glared at Alecia. "Well, I don't have much of a choice, do I? You, your blabber mouth, and your cunt got me in to this."

Alecia looked ashamed and apologized again. "How many times do I have to say 'I'm sorry'? I didn't mean to put you in danger."

Jo sighed, throwing a couple of pairs of jeans and shorts in the suitcase along with some tank tops and oversized plaid shirts. "It's fine. Really. I just don't know what is going to happen, and I'm… afraid of what Eric will want from me after this."

Alecia sat up. "What do you mean? You going to Dallas will finish the favor and it'll be over."

"I don't think it'll be that easy. Do you really think that Eric is just going to let me walk away? I can read minds, and that is a powerful thing when you're… well, him. I don't know what he is, but he's dangerous and powerful, and I don't fucking trust him." _Let's just hope that reading minds is the only thing he'll realize I can do._

Jo threw a few pairs of underwear, some oversized t-shirts, and a sports bra into the bag. She walked in to the living room and grabbed her backpack, shoving another plaid shirt inside and making sure her wallet, laptop, charger for both cell phone and computer, and favorite book were inside. She stepped in to the kitchen and stuck a couple granola bars and an apple inside as well, unsure of when she'd have an opportunity to eat a meal. Her stomach growled at the thought, and she remembered that the only thing she'd put in her system since she'd been awake was two rather large vanilla lattes. She made a mental note to eat something once she got on the plane. When she came back in to her bedroom, she found Alecia zipping upper her bag and pulling up the handle so she could drag it.

"It's almost one o'clock. You should probably head downstairs; I don't suppose you want to keep him waiting."

Jo slung her bag on her shoulders and wrapped Alecia in a tight hug. "Please know I'm not mad at you, Shay. I guess someone was bound to find out about me sooner or later." Jo did her best to block out her friends' thoughts, not wanting to intrude, but she felt the guilt pour out of her.

"I love you, Jojo. Cradle to grave." Alecia said quietly, a few tears falling from her eyes.

"Love you too, Shay. Cradle to grave." Jo backed away and took the suitcase from her friend. "Alright, it's time for me to go. Stay here as long as you like, just lock up when you go, okay?"

"Okay, I will. Text me or call me when you can. So I know that you're okay."

"Promise." Jo replied, smiling. She pulled the bag away from her friend and headed out the door and downstairs. When she got outside, a black limo was waiting with the engine running, the windows tinted so black she couldn't see through. The trunk and driver door opened almost simultaneously, and a man wearing a black suit got out, walked around the car, and opened the back passenger door.

"Miss McLaren." He said cordially, motioning for her to get in the car. He stepped forward and took her suitcase from her, placing it in the trunk.

Jo pulled the backpack off and slung it into the car, suppressing a snicker when she heard a low growl come from the other side. She slid into the seat and looked over at Eric.

"Whoops. I didn't realize you'd be here." She said, grabbing the bag and opening it up. She pulled the plaid shirt out and pulled it on, buttoning it at the wrists, then situated herself against the door and as far away from the vampire as possible. Apparently Eric had a habit of manspreading and was taking up a majority of the backseat. The driver got back in the front seat and as they pulled off, she saw Eric press a button and a partition rose and blocked them off from the driver. Jo stared out the window and her left leg started to bounce; maybe she shouldn't have had that second latte.

Eric turned to look at her, and Jo cut her eyes at him. "A few ground rules before we arrive in Dallas. You will do what I say, when I say it, and there will be no arguments. Vampires in Texas are cowboys and they hold no reservations with doing whatever is necessary to get what they want. We are going to help in the search for their Sheriff, a very old and powerful vampire named Godric, and if they do not get him back, it will not be good for anyone."

Intrigued, Jo turned to face him, tucking her leg up on the seat. "So is a vampire Sheriff similar to that of a County Sheriff?"

"We are the authority in our respective Areas, and all vampires in that area fall under our protection."

"We? You're a Sheriff?"

"I am, of Area 9. Godric is Sheriff of Area 5. He has been missing for a few days now, and it's a possibility that The Fellowship of the Sun is involved."

Jo rolled her eyes. "Those nutballs. I hate to say it, but it wouldn't surprise me if they had taken a vampire. What would be surprising that they could take a vampire like Godric, if he is what you say he is."

"He is everything I say he is, and more. Godric is over twice my age and extremely powerful, and if they are capable of taking Godric, then none of us are safe." Eric said tensely. "There is something else I must tell you. There will be another telepath there, her name is Sookie. She and her… boyfriend, Bill Compton, and Bill's progeny are coming to assist with the search."

Jo was in shock. "Another telepath? You know another telepath?!"

"Yes, there is another telepath. She is different from you, however, as she cannot read vampire thoughts and my touch does not incapacitate her."

That word irritated Jo – incapacitate. "You do not 'incapacitate' me. I don't know what it is about you that made that happen, but it will not happen again."

Eric smiled. She had fight in her; he had to acknowledge that at least. "Little human, you have no say in the matter. But it is not something that I would like to occur before we get to Dallas, as I do need you at full capacity." He reached across the limo to the bar and picked up a glass. "Now, another item that we must address. I need for you to drink more of my blood, to strengthen our connection. It is vital that I have the ability to track you, given the potential situation that we are going to enter once we land."

Jo hesitated. Part of her agreed that she wanted Eric to be able to find her given the fact that she could very well find herself in danger over the next few days. But the idea of drinking his blood again, giving him an upper hand yet again, made her cringe.

"And I would like to drink from you, make you my human, so that other vampires will not and cannot feed from you, and know that you are under my protection. They will know that you are mine."

He was met with a blank stare. "You have lost your mind, haven't you?" She raised an eyebrow at him and tried to slow her heartbeat. She was slightly exhilarated at the thought, but tried to keep herself steady. There was a good chance that he was just trying to keep her in his control, and making her "his" would allow him to exert more control over her. Did she really need that added level of protection?

Eric's response was cut off as the limo came to a stop and his door opened. Eric stepped out and Jo grabbed her bag before following. They were in a private hanger, and a plane sat in front of them.

"Bring the bags on board and tell the pilot we're ready to take off immediately." Eric told the driver, and Jo watched him slip the man a hundred dollar bill. "Come along."

Jo hurried to catch up with his long strides. "I'm not your servant, you know. You don't have to treat me like that."

Eric didn't respond as he climbed the steps into the plane and took a seat, relaxing back and resting his head on the back of the seat. Jo looked around in awe; this was clearly a private plane. It had six seats, four of which were in groups of two, and then the final two were separate from each other, with Eric occupying the one facing a couch-like seat on one side of the plane. There was a bar towards the back of the plane as well. She sat her bag down on the couch and wandered to the back, looking around. She opened a door beside the bar and found a small but nicely decorated bathroom.

"If you wouldn't mind taking a seat, ma'am, we are cleared for takeoff." A man said from the front of the plane, and Jo turned to look at him. He closed the entry door and locked it before gesturing to the couch.

"Oh, sure. I'm sorry." Jo said, slightly embarrassed. She walked back over to the couch, buckling the seatbelt.

"No need to apologize, ma'am. We're glad to have you on board with us for the first time." The man smiled at her, then turned and nodded to Eric. "Always a pleasure to have you on board, Mr. Northman."

Eric didn't acknowledge the man, who seemed to take it in stride. "Feel free to get up and move about the cabin once the seatbelt sign turns off. I'll get us up in the air shortly." The man disappeared into the front of the plane, shutting a door behind him and leaving Jo and Eric alone.

Jo glanced over at Eric and found him with his eyes closed. She used the opportunity to look him over without being scrutinized herself. Even in a seemingly relaxed state, he looked lethal and hard. She continued to observe him, looking over his broad shoulders, across his stomach, lingering slightly on the bulge at his crotch as she swallowed hard, her heart starting to race as she remembered some of the dreams she'd been having lately. Eric's eyes opened and he looked over at her, watching the flush in her face.

"Enjoying yourself?"

Jo glanced up at him and cleared her throat. "Not in the least." She leaned down and opened her bag, pulling out her worn copy of The Brothers Karamazov and opening it up. The engine started up and she felt the plane begin to move as they maneuvered out of the hanger.

"There is still the matter of you becoming mine to discuss, little human."

Irritated, Jo put her book down in her lap and looked up at him. "I have a name. And I know that you know my name; you've said it before."

Eric's only response was an uninterested stare.

"You're incorrigible, did you know that? Does this mean I can give you a nickname? Dickhead, stubborn ass, schnookums?"

His eyes flashed with something between anger and amusement. "I would not recommend any of those, little human." He said silkily. "I would prefer to keep you alive, but if you push me, I will end your life."

The plane turned and paused before starting to pick up speed. Jo rolled her eyes and reached into her bag again, pulling out an apple this time. She bit into, chewed, then swallowed. "You know, you keep threatening that, but I don't think you'll actually do it." She felt the plane lift into the air and they started to climb higher into the sky. "You need me."

"I have another telepath. And while she's still irritating, I think she would be easier to control than you."

Jo giggled and took another bite of the apple. "I'll take that as a compliment, thank you very much." She wiped her mouth with her hand and decided she'd need to find a napkin or wash her hands once they were completely in the air. "You still need me. If this Sookie person was enough, you wouldn't have wasted your favor on this."

"Two telepaths are better than one, particularly in this instance. No matter how frustrating they may be."

She grinned at him before taking another bite. "How exactly do you expect to have me drink your blood, and you feed from me, without skin to skin contact? That would be counterproductive."

Eric nodded slightly. "This is true. There are other ways to accomplish that. Though, I must admit, they are not as satisfying as watching you relish in sucking my thumb."

Jo choked slightly on the bite of apple she was currently chewing, coughing a few times before regaining her composure.

"How charming." Eric smirked.

"Fuck you." Jo said after she caught her breath. She heard a ding and looked up toward the front of the cabin, and the seatbelt indicator turned off. She unbuckled herself and stood, glaring at him as she passed. She opened the door to the bathroom and threw the apple core in the trashcan before washing her hands. After stepping out, she went over to the bar and opened the door to the minifridge. There were bottles of TruBlood in every blood type in the main part of the fridge, but in the door, there were bottles of water and cans of soda as well. She grabbed a bottle of water and took a sip before heading back toward her seat.

As she passed by Eric, she felt a hand wrap around her wrist and before she knew it, she was seated in his lap, the bottle on the floor, leaking out. Jo recoiled slightly before realizing that he had put on thin leather gloves at some point while she was behind him.

"Are you trying to repeat what happened two months ago?" She said angrily, moving to get out of his lap.

Eric wrapped one arm tightly around her and the other grabbed her chin. "I took the necessary precautions." He moved his hand down to her throat, resting it lightly. "You are treading on dangerous ground. I do not think that you understand the seriousness of your current situation."

"Oh I understand – quite clearly, actually. You think that you can just boss me around and use me because you're a thousand year old vampire who could snap me like a twig. I get it; I just refuse to cower at your feet. Fuck you, Eric Northman. I'm Scottish, and we don't take very well to being threatened. You don't know half of what I'm capable of."

Eric gritted his teeth at her outburst, but was intrigued about the last part of her rant. Here was his chance to learn more about the supposed additional abilities she possessed. He squeezed slightly, putting a miniscule amount of pressure on Jo's neck, and relishing in feeling her heart race. He could sense her anger, and as yet hadn't felt any fear. His white lie about needing her to ingest more of his blood to make their bond stronger had multiple possible benefits – making her more attracted to him, tying them closer together, and making her stronger. If she did in fact have other abilities, his old and strong blood should have a positive effect on her abilities.

"And what exactly are you capable of, little human?"

_Fuck_. Jo paused, angry with herself for letting her emotions get the better of her. "Just, you know, the fact that I can read vampire minds when the other telepath apparently can't."

Eric didn't believe her, and she knew it. He applied more pressure to her throat, but was surprised when he felt a wave of arousal come from her instead of the fear that he expected. "You are just full of surprises."

Jo squirmed slightly in his lap, torn between desire and anger. She knew that she shouldn't be enjoying this, that she should be fighting him instead of wanting nothing more than to grind against him.

Suddenly Eric let go of her neck, lifted his hand to his mouth, and pulled the glove off with his teeth. "Pull up my sleeve."

"Why?" Jo asked suspiciously, glad that he was doing something to distract her from her current desires.

"So that I can bite my wrist and you can drink. Now, pull up my sleeve."

Jo started to move again now that he didn't have her by the throat, believing that he wouldn't grab her again with the glove off. The arm that he had around her tightened again and his other hand grabbed her shoulder through the plaid shirt.

"I never agreed to drink your blood again. And I definitely haven't agreed to be your human. You're not exactly inspiring a lot of devotion when you grab me by the throat and talk down to me."

Eric moved quickly, but not near at the speed she knew he could. He stood up, lifting her with him and she grabbed at his shoulders, making sure to hold on to the jacket and not touch his neck. He sat back down, situating her so that she was straddling him like she had the night at Fangtasia. Eric settled his ungloved hand on her hip, gripping the fabric of her shirt while his gloved hand slid up and he grabbed the back of her neck. He leaned forward, staring her down.

"I would think you grateful to have a vampire such as myself willing to protect you. As I have told you, Texas vampires are cowboys and they can be ruthless. I am old and powerful, and by making you mine, it will be that much easier to ensure that you live to go home to your life again."

Jo pushed at his chest and he didn't resist, resting back against the seat and letting his other hand fall to her waist as well. Jo grabbed his jacket sleeve and pushed it up, careful to avoid skin contact.

Jo sighed in frustration. "Just don't get any blood on my clothes. I didn't bring a lot."

With a smirk, Eric's fangs snapped out. "Then you'll have to come closer. I will have to open the wound fairly deep so that the blood will flow enough without you sucking."

Jo lifted herself up, scooted closer, and settled against him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Yes, we both know how much you enjoyed watching me suck your thumb." She said sarcastically.

Eric resisted the urge to sink his fangs into her neck and drink deeply and hard. She smelled amazing and he fantasized briefly of the noises she would make if he suddenly went through with his fantasy. He had to admit, fucking her as he drained her would probably be satisfying as well. The way she felt against him was nice, and she fit perfectly against him.

He lifted his wrist to his mouth and bit hard, the blood starting to gush. Jo opened her mouth and tilted her head back, and he placed it above her lips, letting it drip down and into her mouth. She allowed it to flow into her mouth, and the wound healed fairly quickly, diverting the flow of the blood as it did. A few remaining drops landed on her lips and the corner of her mouth, and she started to feel the effects of his blood again. Maybe it was the fact that she ingested more than the small prick from his thumb, but it was coursing through her like fire. She looked at him and licked her lips, panting slightly. Desire coursed through her as she met his gray eyes and his smirk made her want to hit him and kiss him at the same time.

She couldn't resist herself as she rocked against him.

Eric's smirk turned in to a full smile.

"Good girl."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So, I've taken some slight liberties with the timeline of episodes four through nine, obviously changing some things around to accommodate my character.

Chapter Three

Jo climbed off of Eric's lap and he let her go without any resistance this time. Jo stood on unsteady legs, still breathing heavily.

"Once we arrive at the Hotel Carmilla, you will –"

"Can you stop barking orders at me for five fucking minutes?" Jo cut him off, glaring at him. Before he could respond, she went to the bathroom and closed the door behind her, leaning her head back against it and trying to catch her breath. She was exhilarated and ashamed at the same time; exhilaration from the blood urging her to give in to her desires and shame at behaving so wantonly with someone she barely knew. She also felt stronger and more in control of her abilities. The mental wall that she kept around her mind felt reinforced by steel, and the electricity that she'd only felt in her fingertips once in her life was alive, crackling with power.

She had felt the effects of Eric's blood when she drank it previously, but this time it felt different. Stronger. Maybe because she had more of it this time. And at this moment, she wanted nothing more than to go back out into the cabin and beg Eric to fuck her and feed from here, and she knew better than to do that…

And yet, the desire was there. He had corrupted her with his blood and was sure to use it to control her going forward, and she didn't know how to handle that.

* * *

Eric stood and walked over to the bar, picking up a towel and wetting it with a bottle of water before wiping his mouth off. He pulled off the glove still on his hand and added it to his pocket with the other. He could feel Jo's emotions on the other side of the bathroom door – arousal, fear, anger. Her heart was beating so hard and fast that he could almost feel it in his chest. Perhaps he had pushed too far, having her drink more of his blood this time. She was clearly different from other humans, and he had an effect on her abilities. Too much vampire blood could overwhelm a human under normal circumstances, so more than a few drops of his could theoretically overwhelm her, if she was that sensitive to him. She'd do him no good if he overcooked her, but then again, he needed Jo to be as attached to him as possible. That would be the only way for him to keep her without forcing her to do so.

He leaned against the bar and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for Johana to come out of the bathroom. He could hear her moving around now, and the water was running in the sink. The water stopped and the door opened suddenly, and Jo stood in the doorway staring at him with a surprised look on her face.

"Your blood, you – what's different about you?"

"I could ask you the same thing. What are you?"

Jo scoffed and stomped in front of him, looking up into his eyes. "I'm just me. I'm from the Tennessee mountains, my family is normal, well, as normal as possible, and I don't know what causes my abilities. But I do know that there must be something different about you to have this kind of effect on me." She reached her hand toward his and paused inches from him. "Your blood this time… it feels like it reinforced my mental wall. It feels stronger; it feels like steel."

Eric stared down at her hand. "And you wish to test this theory, as we get nearer to Dallas every second, and we will need your abilities to help find Godric?" A dark look passed over his face, and Jo stepped back.

"Uhm, no, no we don't have to test my theory now." Jo turned and headed back to the couch. She was slightly disappointed that she hadn't got to test her theory, but Eric was right. She didn't need to risk putting herself in a bad situation when she needed to be on the top of her game once they got to Dallas.

Eric started pacing the length of the cabin, his hands in his pockets. Jo watched him pace for about ten minutes before she spoke.

"Who is Godric to you? Do all Sheriff's have to help when something like this happens?"

Eric paused to glance at her but then resumed pacing. "Sheriff's do not disappear. I was asked to help look for Godric by one of his people who thought I would be helpful."

Jo tilted her head slightly. "Why you in particular?"

Eric did not respond.

"Oh, are you going to ignore me now?"

Still no response.

"Fine. You're so mature."

Jo kicked off her shoes and tucked her legs under her crisscrossed. She continued to watch him pace, wishing that she could read his mind. The irony of calling a rather old vampire immature was not lost on her, but him ignoring her was very childish. He may think himself better than her, but at the base level, he was a human man before he became a vampire and humans did have a tendency toward petulancy.

"I would think we'll be arriving soon. It can't be a very long flight from Shreveport to Dallas."

"It's a little over forty-five minutes, assuming they allow us to land rather quickly." Eric stopped and turned to her. "You said my blood strengthened you this time. You did not feel a similar effect previously?"

Jo shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't really pay that much attention last time. I was focused on the fact that the wall had crumbled and wasn't allowing me to rebuild it, not whether your blood had an effect on my abilities." She could still feel the tingling in her fingertips and she considered telling him about it, but decided against it.

Eric watched her stare down at her hands and rub at her fingertips, almost as if something was bothering them. "And there is nothing else you need to tell me? No other effects?"

Jo looked at him and narrowed her eyes, a burst of fear running through her. _Does he know? Am I that obvious?_ "I don't know what you're insinuating, but no, there is nothing else I need to tell you."

Eric stared at her. "You are aware that I can feel your emotions, correct? That fear that you just felt – I feel it too. I know that you are lying to me."

The seatbelt sign dinged and turned on, and Jo took the distraction as an opportunity to break eye contact with Eric. She pulled her legs out from under her and buckled the seatbelt, looking anywhere but at Eric. She put the book back into her backpack and zipped it up before sitting it on the seat beside her. She could see Eric in her peripheral vision, standing in the middle of the cabin looking at her.

"Are you going to tell me what you are withholding?"

Jo shoved her feet into her shoes and felt the plane shift slightly as they began their descent. "You ignored me earlier, and I don't think you're telling me everything about this trip, so if there was something I was withholding from you, I would have every right to do so. Particularly since it doesn't put your life in danger; if you're lying to me or not giving me all of the information, I could get killed."

Eric growled slightly at her, but then sat down in his seat without any comment. They spent the rest of the landing in silence – Jo avoiding his gaze and Eric staring at her with an irritated look on his face. The wheels of the plane hit the tarmac and they started to slow down. They waited until the plane had come to a stop and the pilot came out of the cockpit.

"I hope the flight was to your satisfaction, Mr. Northman. We had excellent weather and the Dallas-Fort Worth airport was very accommodating." The pilot said as he opened the door. "I'll make sure your luggage is transferred over into the limo. It is waiting outside whenever you are ready."

Jo unbuckled her seatbelt and stood, grabbing her backpack and slinging it across her shoulder. Eric hadn't moved, and she assumed he was still pouting, so she exited the plane and headed towards the limo alone. She had almost reached the door of the vehicle when she felt air swish past her and Eric stopped in front of her.

"Wait here." He said, and then he walked to the driver door, wrenched it open, and pulled the driver out by the front of his jacket before slamming him against the side of the limo.

"Eric!" Jo gasped in shock. "What are you doing?"

Eric put his hand up to silence her as he stared into the eyes of the driver. "Tell me now if you have any ulterior motives." He said softly. "What is your job tonight?"

The man responded, but his voice seemed empty. "I am here to escort Mr. Northman and guest to the Hotel Carmilla. Once I finish that, I check in for the next assignment."

Eric seemed satisfied with the answer. "Let's be on our way, then. You remember nothing of this conversation."

The man nodded absently as Eric let him go. The driver got back in the limo and shut the door, and Eric walked back to Jo and opened the back door for her, motioning her inside.

"What was that?" She asked as she pulled her bag off her shoulder and climbed inside, sliding over so that Eric had room to sit beside her.

"I'm just taking precautions." He said as he sat down and closed the door behind him.

"You were just lecturing me about lying and then you turn around and do the same. How am I supposed to trust you if you actively withhold information that could put me in danger?" Jo said as the car started to move.

"I suppose that would mean we are at an impasse, then. I will continue to do what I think is in both my and your best interests, and you will continue to lie to me about the extent of your abilities. Everyone is happy."

Jo crossed her arms and turned to face the window, angry that he had pinned her into a corner, and angry that he was right. At least, he was right in a way. Her withholding information about her abilities was not as serious as him withholding information that could put her in danger. The anger was bubbling up in her, and she rubbed her hands on her thighs to try and keep them from tingling so much. She could feel Eric watching her and wished, not for the first time, that she had just stayed in instead of allowing Shay to convince her to go to Fangtasia that night.

Thinking of Shay, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and sent a quick text message to her best friend.

**Landed in Dallas and on the way to the hotel. Eric is being evasive, and I think he knows about more than my telepathy. Did you say anything about what happened with Henry?**

Jo put her phone back in her pocket before turning her attention to the window. She rolled it down and did her best to focus on observing what was going on around her rather than on the brooding vampire to her left. She had never been to Dallas, but according to the news it was the most vampire friendly city in Texas, which was comical considering The Fellowship of the Sun was based in Dallas. They pulled up in front of a rather large but slightly intimidating looking hotel, and one of the employees opened the door for her.

"Welcome to the Hotel Carmilla, miss." He said, offering his hand to help her out of the car.

Jo declined his hand politely and grabbed her backpack before stepping closer to the door to wait on Eric. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of telling her what to do yet again, but she wasn't sure where to go from here. She could feel that the hotel was full of both humans and vampires, but it wasn't the usual gnats on the edge of her consciousness that the wall kept at bay. She was able to differentiate between the voices, individually, and she could hear them if she focused in, but they didn't overwhelm her. Eric's blood had sharpened everything. She was in awe.

"What is it?" Eric asked her quietly, appearing at her shoulder.

"Hm, nothing. It's nothing." She shook her head and looked up at him.

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her, just barely, and grabbed her elbow before pulling her inside.

"You know, if you keep pulling me around like that, people are going to think we aren't friends. People are going to think that I'm not here willingly." Jo said quietly, looking around the hotel. It was gorgeous; there were people milling about and talking in quiet voices.

As Eric led them up to the reception desk, he shifted his hand from her elbow around her back and under the plaid shirt, resting his hand on her hip and sliding his thumb in one of the belt loops of her shorts. He pulled her closer, tucking her under his arm and leaning down to whisper, "Is that better? We wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea."

Jo didn't respond. It wasn't exactly what she intended to happen, but it felt nice to be in that position with someone, even if it was Eric. And it did present a very nice opportunity to fuck with him too. She wrapped her arm around his waist and looked up at him. "Just perfect, Shnookums."

Eric growled low in his chest before looking over at the receptionist. "Northman, checking in."

"Yes, Mr. Northman. We have you in a suite with a king size bed, lighttight, double soundproofed." The woman said, smiling at him.

"And the second room?" Jo asked.

She felt Eric squeeze her hip and the woman looked from Eric to Jo and back again.

"One room is all we need. Please have our bags taken up immediately." Eric said tensely.

"You're in room 1756." The woman said as she put two key cards on the desk and Eric picked them up with a nod.

He turned with Jo still under his arm and walked them across the lobby to an elevator. He pressed the button and when the doors opened, he pulled her inside, pressing the door close button before someone else could enter. Once the doors closed, he pushed her against the wall, looking down at her. The look on his face wasn't angry; it was almost… playful.

"Where do you get off on not getting me my own room? I know you have plenty of money; it's not like it would be a hardship for you." Jo huffed, glaring up at him. He was extremely close, and she could smell his cologne – subtle and musky. She didn't know how she hadn't noticed it before. Eric's blood had likely strengthened her sense of smell as well as her abilities.

"It's all in the name of your protection. I'd prefer it if you were close by while we are here, that way I can protect you as much as possible. Even if you are not mine." He had put the gloves on at some point, and he ran his finger along her neck. "We'll try out your theory once we find Godric."

"Oh no, I never agreed to let you drink from me. My theory was to touch your hand after ingesting that much of your blood, to see if your touch would still have the same effect, not to let you drink from me." Jo pointed her finger at his chest. "You are twisting things around."

"We'll see." He said, stepping back from her and turning toward the doors as they opened. "Shnookums."

Jo followed him out of the elevator and to their room, waiting as he used his key card to unlock the door and open it before gesturing her inside. She stepped in and her eyes widened. The suite was as opulent as the lobby and rest of the parts of the hotel she had seen. Decorated in the not so subtle colors of red and black, with quite a bit of silver and gray mixed in, it was dark but tastefully done. There were floor to ceiling windows across one wall of the room and she could see the city below them. She walked past their luggage, which had been placed just inside the door, and stopped in front of the windows to look down at the city. As she stood there taking in the sight, she started to think about their conversation in the limo. There wasn't any trust between them, and she might have to make the first step if they were to have even a semblance of trust between them during this ordeal.

"I have business to attend to with Bill Compton. You will not leave this room until I return; you will not leave this room at all without me." Eric said from behind her, jolting her from her thoughts.

She turned and rolled her eyes at him. "Oh, sir yes sir." She kicked off her shoes, took her book bag off and pulled off her over shirt, setting the bag and shirt on one of the armchairs in the living area.

He shook his head slightly at her and turned to leave, pausing when he heard her speak again.

"Your blood made everything sharper this time." She said quietly. "Usually when I'm in the vicinity of a lot of people, they're like gnats buzzing on the edge of my consciousness, constantly battling to break through my mental wall. Downstairs, when we exited the limo, I realized it was different. It's like… I don't know, it's like they're more organized and individualized. I could have picked out any number of voices and honed in on it directly without any physical contact."

He turned back to look at her. "And what's made you suddenly willing to share?"

Jo put her hands on her hips and gave him an irritated look. "Well one of us has to be the bigger person and take a step toward trusting one another, right?"

"I see your point, but pretending that you are the bigger person is not the best choice of words, little human. However, I appreciate your attempt." Eric responded then opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. "Stay." He closed the door behind him.

Irritation flared up inside her and she ran to the door, jerking it open to see him knocking on the door across the hall.

"Meet me down at the bar."

He turned to look at her and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not your fucking dog, asshole." She said, giving him the finger.

"We're going to have to work on your terms of endearment, Johana. I would have thought that a writer such as yourself would be a little more creative." He stepped towards her and put his hand on her chest, making sure his fingertips stayed on the cloth of her tank top, and pushed her back into the room. "Now, stay." He closed the door behind him as he left again.

It occurred to Jo that she had never told Eric what she did for a living, so how did he know that she was a writer? She pondered that as she roamed the room, exploring all of the amenities. There was a mini bar, as well as a meu that detailed the options of room service. She grabbed the room phone and quickly ordered a club sandwich with fries and a coke, justifying it with the fact that the only food she'd eaten was an apple during the plane ride. As she waited for the food to arrive, she continued into the bedroom area, running her hand across the silk sheets that had been turned down on the bed. But it was the bathroom where she froze. There was a magnificently large shower inside, but beside of it was a large and deep bathtub.

She went to the bathroom counter, going through the complementary toiletries, but she didn't find any bubble bath. She hurried back to the phone in the living area and dialed the front desk.

"Hello, I'm in room 1756. I just ordered room service, and I didn't know if there was any bubble bath available in like a gift shop or something?" She asked, twirling the phone cord around her finger.

"Yes, of course. We do have some in the gift shop on the first floor."

Jo paused, considering her options. Should she go, risk getting caught, and piss off Eric, or should she just take a bath without the bubble bath?

"Ma'am?"

"Uh, see, here's the thing. I'm not technically supposed to leave the room… Is the gift shop near the bar?"

"I can have it delivered with your current room service order. Would that be acceptable?" The woman asked, acting like it was the most normal thing in the world for a guest to not be allowed to leave their room.

_Well, considering it's a vampire hotel, it may be more common than you think, Jo. Are you really going to just sit here and wait like a pet for him to come back?_

"No, it's fine. I'll come downstairs myself. But do you think you could have some extra pillows delivered with the room service? Thank you." Jo hung up the phone and walked over to her shoes and put them on.

She justified her actions with a promise to be quick and discreet, grabbed her wallet from her bag, and propped the door open with a pillow from one of the couches. She hurried down the hall to the elevator, which arrived blessedly quick, and pressed the button for the lobby. Groaning slightly when the light dinged for two floors below and the doors opened, she stepped to the side of the elevator and fidgeted nervously. A man and a woman entered the elevator, and a quick assessment of their thoughts told her that they were both vampires. She nodded politely in acknowledgement then redirected her eyes to watching the numbers count down the floors.

_Is it the human that smells so delicious? That's not possible. _

The thought made Jo freeze and she resisted the urge to do a dramatic gulp. She glanced over at the two and they were looking at her curiously. With a quick smile, she redirected her attention back toward the doors, willing the elevator to go faster. After what seemed like hours, the doors finally opened and Jo darted out. As she looked around the lobby, she found the gift shop which was on the other side of the bar, meaning that she would have to walk across the bar to get to it. Gritting her teeth, she walked toward the bar and tried to locate Eric. In a stroke of luck, she found him sitting with his back to her, with a dark haired man beside him. Jo made her way quickly across the bar and into the gift shop, located the bubble bath and paid. As she turned to go back across the bar, she looked for Eric but the two seats were empty now.

"Fuck me." She groaned, clutching the bubble bath to her chest. Jo looked around for Eric but she couldn't see him towering over the other people in the bar or the lobby, so she made her way back to the elevator and stepped inside. She was slightly excited by the fact that Eric could catch her at any moment. And it would serve him right, particularly since it seemed like he got some sort of sick pleasure out of treating her the way he did.

The elevator stopped on their floor and Jo practically skipped down the hall to their room. The pillow was still in the doorjamb and she grabbed it before stepping inside and closing the door behind her. She tossed the pillow on the couch, grabbed her suitcase, and took it over to the bed. After unzipping it and locating an oversized t-shirt, sports bra, and a pair of underwear, which she usually slept in, it occurred to her that she didn't have any pajama pants to sleep in.

_Does Eric actually intend to stay in here with me?_

Jo contemplated that as she took the clothes into the bathroom and turned on the water as hot as she could stand it, poured in the bubble bath, and started to let the tub fill up. She was grabbing her book out of her backpack when there was a knock on the door. She walked over and opened it, and a female hotel employee with a service tray was on the other side.

"Good evening, miss. May I come in?"

"Of course! Thank you." Jo opened the door wider and stepped to the side so that the woman could enter the room. She pushed the tray over to the coffee table in front of the couch and placed the tray off food on top. She pulled four pillows out from under the cart and placed them on the couch, then walked back over and handed the black bill holder to Jo.

Jo signed for the food, adding a generous tip, and going to the door to let the woman out. As she opened the door, she saw a blond woman dart out of the room across the hall and run after a dark haired man.

_Barry, wait!_ She heard the exclamation both in her head and with her ears.

Jo looked over at the woman with the service cart, but she pretended not to notice anything as she bid Jo a good evening and left in the opposite direction. With a shrug, Jo went back into the room and hurried to the bathroom to shut the water off in the bathtub. She was all set to finally eat a real meal and relax in a giant bathtub. She should at least get to enjoy herself before she possibly died.

* * *

After his meeting with Bill, Eric had ordered a B-positive human at the bar, but he wasn't satisfied. She was nice, unfortunately willing, and beautiful, but he couldn't get the thought, or the smell, of Johana out of his head. He was torn between his quest to find Godric, the fear that Godric was dead, and the desire to completely consume Jo and make her his, consequences be damned. He clenched his jaw as he opened the door and looked around the room. When he didn't see her immediately, he listened closer, and heard the sound of water splashing through the bathroom door. Curious, he made his way to the bathroom door and opened it.

She was surrounded by bubbles, and looked to be sitting upright in the tub so that she could read her book. She had undone the braid and put her hair up into a messy bun. There was an empty plate on the counter around the bathtub, and she was currently taking a drink out of a can of coke.

He leaned against the doorjamb as she looked up at him and scowled, setting the can down. "Can I not get some semblance of privacy? I don't get my own room; I should at least be allowed to bathe in peace."

"I'm glad to see you're enjoying yourself. There was a distinct possibility that I would return and you would not be here. You got so testy about my telling you to stay."

Jo slid her bookmark into the book and tossed it to the side of the tub before sliding down into it. "Yes, I did get 'testy' about that. I am not your dog, and I will not be treated like one."

Eric walked over and sat down on the edge of the tub, looking down at her. "I treat my pets very well." He said as he casually ran his fingers along the top of the water.

Jo kicked out and splashed water at him. He darted away and was standing by the bathroom counter in an instant. "See, you even behave like a pet – that could be compared to a dog knocking over its water bowl because it was told no."

Jo disliked his analogy, but she didn't have a chance to respond before he spoke again.

"But I do enjoy a challenge," he said as he walked over and leaned down, placing his hands on the edge of the tub and smirking at her. "After all, punishment can be quite fun. I'd be happy to teach you."

Jo flushed at the thought. She had to admit, the thought of letting Eric teach her anything related to that made her squirm.

"But that would be for another time. We'll have to test out your theory after we find Godric." He turned and left the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

Jo sighed in relief that he had left, but her heart was racing. It had really been too long since she'd had sex, and his constant teasing was not helping her fight against her desire for him. And one thing she really wanted was to have her own room so that she could rub one out without knowing that he could hear everything she did. With her relaxing bath ruined, she pulled the drain and stood up, grabbing her towel as she went. After dressing in her selected sleep clothes, she wished that her confidence hadn't gotten the best of her when she didn't bring a pair of pants in with the rest of the clothing. Jo grabbed the plate and her book and walked out of the bathroom with as much confidence as possible, despite the fact that she was self-conscious as she had ever been. She set the book on one of the bedside tables and continued into the living area.

Eric was laying on the couch in sweatpants, without a shirt, watching Die Hard. She was struck by the fact that he looked so normal laying there. She walked over to the coffee table and put the plate on the room service tray before picking up the tray and taking it to the door, placing it on the floor outside the room.

She turned to see Eric watching her. She worried at her lower lip as she grabbed the pillows from the floor, where he had obviously dumped them when he decided to lay down, and headed to the bed. She pulled the covers back and laid the pillows down the middle of the bed, creating a barrier. Eric walked in and stood at the foot of the bed, watching her.

"Are you afraid I'll rape you in the night?" He asked, looking at her.

Jo rolled her eyes as she pulled the hairband out of her hair and grabbed her hairbrush off the bedside table. "No, I'm worried about the fact that we'll be sharing the bed and if I take into account the fact that we're both wearing minimal clothing, the chances of skin to skin contact are highly likely without a barrier." She brushed her hair as she talked. "I'm not sleeping on the couch, and you barely fit on it, so I can't see you resting comfortably." She put the brush down and laid down in the bed, grabbing her book and opening it up. "If you don't think you can control yourself, feel free to get your own room."

"I'll pass on that." He said before returning to the living area.

Jo tried to read, but she couldn't concentrate. She wasn't worried that Eric would accost her in the middle of the night – she was more worried about the fact that she felt an irresistible urge to beg him to fuck her, punish her, teach her whatever it was that he had learned in a thousand years.

She doubted she'd get any sleep tonight.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: So, I've taken some slight liberties with the timeline of episodes four through nine, obviously changing some things around to accommodate my character.

This chapter is a little longer since it follows the show. I figured I would be nice and give you more content.

Chapter Four

Eric's fingers trailed up Jo's leg lightly as he stood beside the bed, following his hand with his eyes. Jo was watching his face, breathing heavily. His hand reached her thigh, he slid her shirt up so that the hem rested just above the top of her underwear, then he slid his fingers back down to her femoral artery as his fangs extended. He felt the blood pump through her veins, practically begging him to take it. He glanced up at Jo's face as he silently asked permission. She nodded, her lips parted slightly, breathing shallowly and her chest heaving. Eric climbed onto the bed, settling his head between her legs and kissing the skin where he intended to bite her. He slid his hand up her stomach and cupped her breast under the fabric of her shirt, and Jo moaned. She reached down and threaded her fingers through his hair, gripping it tightly as he scraped his fangs teasingly against her skin.

"Please." She whimpered, and Eric smelt her arousal flare up in tandem with her heartbeat skipping.

"As you wish." He murmured, sinking his fangs into her and relishing in the burst of blood flowing into his mouth.

"Oh, Eric, yes! Eric, please!"

Eric was jolted out of his rest as a burst of desire shot through his entire body. He could hear Johana beside him, and she was moaning his name. He looked over to see her clutching one of the pillows in the middle of the bed. She was laying on her left side with her right leg over another pillow and her hair clung to her face which was covered in a thin layer of sweat. From what he could tell, she was enjoying herself immensely in this dream, and it made him instantly hard. Eric sat up on his side, resting his head on his hand and watching her. He considered not waking her and continuing to enjoy the show, but the idea of waking her in the middle of her dream, denying her that completion, and forcing her to acknowledge her attraction toward him all in one fell swoop was irresistible. He knew that sunset was still close to five hours away, but he could be awake long enough to enjoy this.

"Johana." He said loudly, but she didn't stir. She was still moaning his name. "Johana." He said again, pulling at the pillow under her head so that she moved slightly.

Jo's eyes popped open and she looked at him, panting. She was disoriented for a moment, confused at how Eric had gotten from down at the end of the bed between her legs to beside her with no blood on his mouth.

"I'm sorry to wake you, as I know that you were enjoying yourself immensely, but you were being quite loud." Eric said, watching her face as she slowly put everything together. "Although I'm quite flattered to be able to put you in such a state merely from a dream. Imagine what I could do in reality."

Jo blushed and sat up in the bed, clearing her throat as she pushed her fingers through her hair.

"You have absolutely no tact at all." She said as firmly as she could, but it was hard to take the high ground when she'd just been dreaming about Eric feeling her up while he sucked her blood with his head just inches from the most intimate part of her body. And right now, all she wanted was to climb on top of him, offer him her neck and let him fuck her until she was unable to walk. She blew out a sigh as she reached over and grabbed her hair tie, putting her hair up into a ponytail.

"My lack of tact is what makes me unbelievably attractive. You know that what I say is what I truly mean."

Jo scoffed. "Yeah, unless you're trying to manipulate someone, which is all you do." She turned and looked over at the clock, seeing that it was just after four. She would usually be getting up by this time. She stood and stretched, enjoying the low growl that came from Eric as her shirt rode up slightly. "You should go back to sleep. There's still a few hours until sunset." Walking over to her bag, she grabbed clean clothes and her bag of toiletries.

"Yes, I should." Eric acknowledged as he watched her every move. "Hopefully I'll dream as well as you did."

Jo ignored him and went into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her and leaving Eric to return to sleep. Jo turned on the shower and let the water warm as she stripped and put her body wash, face wash, shampoo, and conditioner inside the shower. She stepped inside the stream of water and let the scalding water stream across her body, hoping that it would shock her out of the fog that she was still in after her dream. Everything that happened had felt extremely real and she had wanted him to do the same things to her in reality that he had in her dream, and if she hadn't left the bed, she would have jumped him – consequences and looking for Godric be damned.

Jo finished her shower and got ready for the evening; drying her hair, putting on minimal makeup, and dressing in jeans, a white tank top, and a red and black plaid overshirt. She peaked out of the bathroom and found Eric laying in the bed with his eyes closed, and she assumed that meant he had returned to his rest. Sneaking over to his bedside table, she picked up his wallet and slid one of the key cards for the room out before slipping it in her pocket. She grabbed her Vans and her cellphone and left the room quietly. He would have to get over the fact that she left the room this time because she was hungry, and he was asleep, and she wasn't going to spend the entire trip locked in that hotel room. She looked down at the phone and saw she had a text from Shay.

**Don't remember telling them anything about Henry. But idk honestly.**

_Just fucking wonderful_, Jo thought as she made her way downstairs to the restaurant. After eating a quick meal and grabbing a vanilla latte from the in-house coffee shop, she made her way back upstairs and settled in on the couch to write until the sun set. She watched the clock count down closer to the night and she knew the sun had completely set when the blinds automatically raised in the living area and Eric walked in.

"You left the room." He stated as he stood beside her, looking down at her laptop.

"Yes, I did." She replied, taking a sip of her latte. "I have to eat, and I won't be held prisoner in this room. Also, if you try and keep me from coffee, we will have a major problem."

"We will be riding with Bill and Sookie to Godric's nest this evening so that we can hopefully get more information and create a plan." He pulled the cup out of her hand and looked down at it in disgust. "Perhaps you should stop drinking coffee. It seems to make you slightly… jittery."

Jo closed her laptop and tossed it to the end of the couch before standing up and stepping on to the couch, putting her almost at eye level with Eric.

"If you take away my coffee, I will walk out of this hotel screaming that I was kidnapped and forced to come here against my will." She looked down at her coffee cup, which was engulfed in his rather large hand, then looked back up at him. "What's it going to be?"

"It would be unlikely that you would make it that far, however, I will acquiesce." He offered the cup to her and she took it. "We'll just have to work on moderating your intake going forward."

Jo took the coffee and sat down on the couch without comment, cradling the cup in both hands and taking a few sips as Eric walked back toward the bedroom area. She heard the shower turn on a few minutes later and she settled back in on the couch to continue writing. She'd had quite a bit of luck with her writing so far, and had turned out almost two chapters. It still needed to be edited and worked through, but it was more than she'd been able to produce lately. She finished her coffee and stood, stretching before heading over to the trashcan beside the door and disposing of her cup. Jo walked over to the floor length mirror and considered her outfit choice.

_Maybe I should've packed something different_, she thought. _It's not like I'm laying around the house and going to the bookstore._

She turned when she heard the bathroom door open and Eric walked out with a towel around his waist, still wet from the shower. He made eye contact with her and smiled as he heard her heartbeat quicken.

"Forgot my clothes." He said nonchalantly as he walked over to his bag and pulled out articles of clothing.

"You're so full of shit your eyes should be brown." Jo scoffed quietly under her breath as she looked around for the TV remote. She was trying to ignore him and his glistening skin, and the intense desire to beg him to take her right there on the couch.

"You do realize that I can hear you, Johana." He replied as he walked back into the bathroom. He didn't shut the door and she could imagine the towel hitting the floor and him standing there in all his naked glory.

"Yeah, I know you can hear me. And don't think I don't know that you're manipulating me. It's not fair."

Eric stepped back into the doorway of the bathroom and Jo looked over at him. He had put on his pants and dried the remainder of the water from his torso, but his hair was still damp.

"You have a very strong resolve. And I don't think I ever agreed to making this a fair fight." He said as he ran the towel over his hair.

"This isn't a fight though! I am here to fulfill my favor. What else can you want from me?" Jo had started to get angry and her voice rose slightly as she realized what she had just said. She raised her hand to stop him from speaking. "It was rhetorical, for fucks sake."

Eric took a few steps toward her and Jo stared defiantly at him, daring him to come closer.

"You know what I want from you, little human. I want you to be mine. There is something about you that is intriguing; your blood smells amazing, and your telepathic abilities would be very helpful. You are annoying and defiant, but I feel with time I could train that out of you." He said it very matter of fact and firm, and Jo was torn between arousal and anger.

"Train it out of me?" She said incredulously. "You… you're impossible. Put your damn clothes on so we can go."

Eric grinned at her and in the blink of an eye, he was fully dressed and standing in front of her. He held out his hand, palm up. "Your keycard."

Jo rolled her eyes and turned away from him as she located her shoes and put them on. "I'm keeping the keycard. As I said earlier, I need to be able to come and go during the day so that I can eat and get coffee."

She felt Eric behind her before she knew what was happening and his hand was in the back pocket of her jeans. He grabbed the keycard and, after letting his fingers rub slightly at her backside, stepped away before placing the card back into his wallet. Jo let out the breath she'd been holding and turned around to look up at him.

"And you wonder why I refuse to go along with your plans."

She pushed past him, grabbed her wrist wallet, and exited the room before making her way to the elevator. Eric walked up beside her and they waited in silence as the elevator arrived and carried them downstairs to the main lobby. Eric headed toward the main doors to where the car waited, but Jo detoured to the coffee shop. She waved to the barista as she approached and the young woman smiled.

"Back again?"

"Oh yes, back again. I'm without my coffee pot so you guys get the pleasure of feeding my addiction." Jo said as she went to pull out her debit card. "I'll take a bottle of water too. Just to give my organs a surprise."

The woman laughed as she rung up the order and reached out to take the debit card from Jo's hand. They both froze as an arm came around Jo and Eric handed his card to the woman instead.

Jo glanced up at Eric with a smirk. "If my coffee habit is so abhorrent, why are you enabling me?"

The barista swiped Eric's card and handed it back to him, set a bottle of water on the counter and then turned to make Jo's latte. Eric put the card back in his wallet and picked up the water bottle. "I'm not enabling; I'm rewarding." He shook the water bottle slightly. "It's a step in the right direction. And while you are here to fulfill the favor, I did plan to foot the bill."

Jo chose to ignore the 'rewarding' comment and instead simply nodded. She was starting to think that Eric enjoyed getting her riled up, despite him constantly commenting that she was annoying and defiant. The barista set the coffee on the counter and Jo thanked her before turning and walking with Eric to the front doors. He walked up to a dark haired man and a blonde woman who was dressed in a bright red dress.

"Bill, Sookie, this is Johana. Johana, Bill and Sookie." Eric said, gesturing to the couple.

"Oh my gosh, it's so exciting to meet you! I can't believe there's another telepath! And you Eric says you can read vampire's minds too!" Sookie nearly squealed, thrusting her hand out to shake Jo's.

Jo recoiled slightly and bumped into Eric, then smiled. "Sorry; I'm just cautious about touching right now. My powers are a little sensitive lately."

She could distinguish Bill and Sookie's thoughts but didn't listen in. She felt a slight probe on her mind and slammed the wall up harder, shutting Sookie out and shooting her a glare. Sookie looked surprised.

"Stay out of my head." Jo all but growled, and she felt the tingling sensation return to her fingertips. She rubbed them on her jeans but stopped once she realized Eric was watching her.

"Sorry, I just got excited." Sookie said sheepishly, wrapping her arm around Bills. "It's not every day you meet a telepath."

_Although I've just met two in the past 24 hours_.

The thought drifted toward Jo and she wondered briefly who the other telepath was. It did seem odd for three of them to be in the Hotel Carmilla at once. She was distracted from that thought when a black SUV pulled up beside them and a valet got out.

"I've left the vehicle running, Mr. Northman."

Eric nodded and handed the man a tip before gently tugging at Jo's sleeve and having her follow him to the other side of the SUV. He turned and opened the back door.

"Johana." He said, gesturing for her to get in.

She stepped up to the door and was contemplating how to get in without spilling her coffee when she felt Eric take it out of her hand. With a small smile, she climbed inside and buckled her seatbelt before Eric handed her back the coffee cup and set the water bottle in her lap, then closed the door. Bill had opened the other door for Sookie and once she was seated, he closed the door and got into the front passenger seat. Eric opened the driver door and slid the seat back, making eye contact with Jo as he did.

Shrugging, she said, "I'm used to tall people wanting me to sit behind them so they don't have to worry about leg room."

Sookie laughed beside her and Eric nodded before sitting down and closing the door. He drove off and they sat in silence for a moment before Sookie started speaking.

"So how is it reading vampire's thoughts? Is it the same way you read humans? Did you know about vampires before the Great Revelation?"

Jo gulped down some of her coffee and reminded herself that she had to be nice. Sookie seemed to be a bit high energy and while Jo had practice dealing with that with Shay, there was a difference in her tolerance for a stranger and her best friend.

"Uhm, yeah, it's the same as you would read a human. I mean, vampire thoughts are very organized and the main focal point of most of their thoughts is blood, but it's the same gist as a human. And I had only encountered possibly three or four vampires before the Great Revelation, and I just assumed they were weirdos who had serial killer tendencies. I didn't stick around them for very long after I heard their thoughts and they were so focused on blood." Jo said, her leg starting to bounce as she talked.

"So you could read Bill's thoughts right now? And Eric's?" Sookie asked.

"I could read Bill's if I wanted to." Jo agreed. "But I can't read Eric's for some reason. There's something different about him."

"There's something different about him all right." Sookie said derisively.

Jo cut her eyes at Sookie and was surprised at the desire to defend Eric that washed over her. _Probably another side effect of his fucking blood, _she thought as she took another sip of her coffee.

"Now, now, there's no need to be antagonistic, Sookie." Eric said as he glanced back at Jo in the rearview mirror. He liked the look of anger on Jo's face and the pink in her cheeks. Her protectiveness toward him was a pleasant surprise. The effects of vampire blood usually created an attraction between the vampire and the human, but not the protectiveness that he just witnessed.

"I think that the fact that you chained my friend up in the basement of Fangtasia, beat him, shot him, and fed on him against his will allows me to be a little antagonistic!" Sookie nearly shouted, glaring daggers at Eric.

Jo's eyes widened and she met Eric's gaze in the rearview mirror. He lifted an eyebrow at her and refocused his attention on the road.

"Your friend was caught selling vampire blood in my area, and a vampire that we believe was his supplier has gone missing. I was merely gathering information."

Jo clutched her coffee cup in her hands and her leg started to bounce quicker. Sookie's revelation confirmed what she had known all along – that Eric was very dangerous and had no qualms doing whatever he needed to do to accomplish his objective. She was in danger, a great deal of it, and she needed to get back to Shreveport and away from Eric as quickly as possible. Maybe it was time for her to move back home. After all, she could write from anywhere, and Shay could work for any hospital as a nurse. They should pack their things and go as soon as Jo could get back to Shreveport.

Jo was brought out of her thoughts by Eric parking in the driveway of a rather large and opulent house, growling slightly as he did so.

"This is neither the time nor the place to discuss this, Sookie." Bill said almost pleadingly.

"Agreed. I will no longer argue with you about it, as it is done." Eric opened his door and got out, and Jo's door opened a few moments later.

She put the water bottle in the cup holder and slid down out of the SUV rather clumsily, but without spilling any of her coffee. Eric shut the door and pushed her against it, looking down at her.

"We are here to meet with Stan and Isobel. Isobel is more tolerant of humans, but Stan is a cowboy in every sense of the word. He will not tolerate you for very long." Eric said quietly.

Jo took a sip of her coffee nonchalantly and looked up at him. "Well that's why you're so useful. You won't let him kill me."

Eric clenched his jaw. "You have refused to let me drink from you and have refused to let me claim you; therefore, you are not mine. I can only do so much. Remember, the main goal of this trip is to find Godric, not to keep Texas vampires from eating you."

After he finished, he stalked off toward the front door, leaving her to trail behind. She didn't like the idea of this Stan being hateful towards humans, particularly since she had a feeling that Bill had already claimed Sookie, and that meant that Jo was the one who was fair game. They all followed Eric into the house and to the living room where a beautiful Latina woman stood dressed in a skin tight and flattering white dress. A man stood beside her in dark jeans, a dark button down and cowboy boots. Jo started to feel self conscious about how dressed down she was in comparison to Isobel and Sookie. They both looked like they were prepared to do photoshoots while Jo looked like she was about to go work in a garden. Sookie and Bill stood together off to the side while Eric paced by himself, and Jo leaned back against the kitchen table at the back of the room to watch them.

"You should have told me Eric hired fucking humans, Isobel." Stan said angrily, looking at Sookie and Jo with contempt.

"Now wait just a minute." Sookie exclaimed.

"Respect her!" Bill said, and Sookie thanked him.

Eric made no move to defend Jo and she wasn't surprised. She took a sip of her coffee and looked Stan in the eye as she did so.

"I couldn't tell you Stan. You've been off on your own for days." Isobel said as she crossed her arms.

"Are you certain Godric was abducted by the Fellowship of the Sun?" Eric asked.

"No." Isobel said, and at the exact same moment, Stan said, "Yes. They're the only ones with the organization and manpower."

"But they're amateurs. It doesn't make any sense." Isobel countered. "This is Godric we're talking about; two thousand years old."

Sookie looked over at Bill in disbelief at the age Sookie stated and he nodded at her slightly.

"Old don't make you smart." Stan said.

"Besides, there's no proof." Isobel replied, looking over at Stan.

"If they've got him, I'll hear it. That's my job." Sookie said positively.

Jo jerked her head over to look at Sookie and focused in on her thoughts. _Jo and I will go in to the Fellowship and see what we can hear. If they have Godric, between the two of us, we should be able to find out where he is._ If Sookie felt Jo in her head, she didn't acknowledge it.

"There's no reason to wait. We need to take these fanatics down, full out attack. Exterminate them like the vermin they are; leave no trace."

As Stan was talking, Jo looked over at Eric and found him with his jaw and fists clenched. He looked dangerous and angry, and she could tell he was losing his patience. She had unfortunately been on the receiving end of that look.

"Hm, vampire hating church annihilated. Wonder who did it? Fucking brilliant." Isobel sneered at Stan.

"I doubt the King of Texas would approve the destruction of our international agenda." Bill said sternly.

"King?" Jo said quietly, and Eric glanced over at her before fixing his glare at Stan.

"Fuck that. The Great Revelation is the biggest mistake we ever made."

"Don't use Godric to make your own little power play." Isobel said to Stan, turning to him angrily.

"You're completely incompetent! What's happened to Godric that he surrounds himself with clowns?" Eric's outburst didn't seem to surprise anyone.

"We invited you as a courtesy. This is not your territory. You have no authority here." Isobel said, her voice changing slightly as she took a few steps toward Eric.

"Yeah Sheriff, why don't you head on back down to Louisiana. We don't need you or your puppets." Stan said.

"Oh, I'm not going anywhere." Eric said with a dark look.

"And I'm nobody's puppet." Sookie replied with a disgusted look on her face.

Isobel and Stan looked over at Jo, expecting a response as well.

Jo shrugged and took a sip of her coffee. "I'm not a puppet either, but I do think Eric would prefer the term pet."

Stan looked over at Eric and then settled his gaze on Jo again. "Is she yours? She smells delicious."

"It would be best not to test me." Eric growled, taking a step forward.

"What we need is a plan." Bill said, trying to diffuse the tension.

"I have a plan." Stan said, his eyes lingering on Jo before looking at Bill.

Jo didn't need to read Stan's mind to figure out what he was thinking, but she did it anyway.

_She smells like apples and grass and momma's apple pie. Fuck, can I drain her before Eric can react? _

Fear ran through Jo and her breath hitched in her throat. Eric glanced over at her curiously before turning his attention to Stan.

"It's not a plan, it's a movie."

"It's not a movie; it's a war." Stan said darkly.

Eric scoffed. "Idiots."

He resumed pacing and Jo pulled a chair out from under the table and sat down, tapping her coffee cup on the table. Isobel and Stan moved across the room and stood around the table, continuing to argue.

"We take them all out at once; a pre-emptive strike." Stan said.

"Of course! So the federal government can bomb us back into the Middle Ages!" Isobel said exasperated.

"Things were better then."

"Then go to Romania and live in a cave, you ranchero poser."

Stan cursed at Isobel in Spanish, then Eric picked up a vase and threw it, making Jo jump. "Godric has protected you, made you rich, and you stand here spitting and scratching like infants." His voice was almost a roar.

"Don't any of you care that there is a traitor in your midst?" Bill added.

"No."

"Impossible."

"Someone tried to kidnap me from the airport." Sookie chimed in.

Jo cut her eyes over to Eric and raised an eyebrow. Now the incident with the limo driver made more sense. Eric flicked his eyes to her but didn't respond.

"You were the only ones that knew she was coming."

"Explain." Eric said angrily, walking towards the two vampires.

Isobel and Stan turned to one another and made the same accusation. "Unless it was you."

"If y'all argue any more, I'm either going to fall asleep or start screaming, so this is what we're gonna do: Johana and I will infiltrate the Fellowship of the Sun." Sookie stated.

"Absolutely not." Bill said, the concern evident in his voice.

"Let her speak." Eric said.

Jo held up her hand and stood. It was time to get involved now that they were speaking for her. "Hold up a minute. First off, call me Jo. Secondly, let's not volunteer me for anything until I've heard all the details."

"Bill glamoured the kidnapper so no one knows who I am. I'll pretend I want to join the church, and check out all their thoughts." Sookie continued as if Jo hadn't spoken.

"No. During the day, none of us can help you." Bill said as he looked around at his fellow vampires.

"He has a good point." Jo agreed, and Eric growled low in his chest. "What? You're always going on about how you're a thousand year old vampire and very strong. The whole point of that is for you to be able to help us."

"It'll only take a little while. Really, Bill and Jo, it's simple. They're not going to suspect two sisters."

Jo snorted then covered her mouth with her hand. "Sorry, but no one is going to believe that we are sisters."

"This is a waste of time." Stan said, walking across the room and picking up his hat. "When we could drink them all. I want no part of this." He left the room and Jo heard the front door close.

"There is no easier way to find out if they're involved." Isobel said.

"If it leads us to Godric, we'll do it. The decision is made." Eric said with a sense of finality.

Jo rounded on him; her coffee forgotten on the table. "You're such a prick, do you know that? You're risking our lives, my life, for who? Some colleague?"

"Excuse us." Eric said as he grabbed Jo's arm and pulled her through the doorway to their right and down a hall, taking them further into the house. He pushed a few doors open, finding a bathroom, the kitchen, and finally a bedroom, which seemed to be what he was looking for since he pushed her inside and closed the door behind them. "What are you doing?" he growled, advancing on her.

Jo backed up until she hit the bed. She glared up at him and crossed her arms. "Listen here, bucko, this favor is grossly disproportionate. I'm not going to die for you simply because you walked me home one night two months ago. This makes no sense. I mean, I get that Godric is old and powerful, and it seems like he's a really good friend of yours, but I don't get your willingness to potentially get me and Sookie killed just to see if the Fellowship might have him."

Eric hissed at her and his fangs extended.

Jo gulped her shrunk back as he reached for her, grasping her arms tightly.

"I would sacrifice a thousand humans if it meant getting my maker back. You don't have to understand or agree to this. I've been very accommodating and let you believe that you had a choice in this, but you do not. I can, and will, find you wherever you go now that you have tasted my blood, so the best course of action is for you to do what I say, or I will kill you right here." He shook her. "Do you understand me?"

Jo clenched her teeth together to try to keep herself from crying. Her heart was racing and she was regretting her second coffee, particularly now that he had scared her.

"I have to pee." She blurted out, wrenching herself from his grip and stepping around him before heading out of the room and back to the bathroom they had passed earlier. She shut and locked the door behind her, sighed, and started crying. She was ashamed that she had allowed herself to get into this situation; especially after all of the warnings her grandmother had given her about people wanting to use her gifts for their gain. She used the bathroom and washed her hands, then tried to clean up her mascara and eyeliner as best she could. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, pulling herself together before stepping out of the bathroom.

Eric was leaning against the wall opposite the bathroom with his hands in his pockets, and he looked up from the floor to her.

"Do you understand me, Johana?" He asked, his tone more level this time as his eyes searched her face, lingering on the smudged makeup.

"Yes, I understand." She sighed. "But this hot and cold bullshit is getting old. Can you guys take medication for bi-polar disorder?"

Eric scoffed and shook his head. "You irk me and it causes me to lose my temper, particularly when Godric is concerned."

"Yeah, well, you bring out the fuck you in me, so I guess we're even." Jo replied. "What's a maker?"

"It is the one who made me a vampire. Godric and I have been connected for over a thousand years. It is a deep and powerful bond and I am fiercely loyal to him, even though I haven't seen him in almost seventy years. I owe him everything." Eric's voice was reverent and Jo was caught off guard by the amount of devotion that Eric showed toward Godric.

"Does it scare you that he's missing?" Jo asked.

"Yes." Eric said simply.

Jo raised her eyebrow at that. She wasn't expecting an honest response, and had prepared herself for a smart remark.

"You told me that we had to be more honest with one another." He reminded her as he pushed himself off the wall and headed back toward the living area.

"I thought you'd met your honesty quota for the night, what with threatening to murder me and all."

Eric glanced back at her and smiled.

"It's obvious that Godric means a lot to you, so I'm going to help you find him." Eric paused and Jo walked up beside him. "But I want your word that you will do everything in your power to protect me. Fanatics are dangerous and they will do whatever it takes to cling to their fantasy world. And Stan really wants to drink my blood. He was trying to figure out if he could drain me before you could react."

Eric clenched his jaw. "If you had allowed me to make you mine, you wouldn't have that worry."

"Yes, well, we will just have to move on from that. He said I smelled like his mom's apple pie. Is that what I smell like to you?"

Eric shook his head. "No, you smell like roasted meat, fresh bread, the crisp morning air just before sunrise, sex."

Jo blushed and started walking again. "He also said that Sookie smelled good, but he described her differently. Like sunlight and freedom. Do we smell like this because we're telepaths?"

Eric grabbed her elbow and stopped her. "Sookie smells the same to me, Bill, and Stan, but you're different?"

Jo gave him a weird look and nodded. "Yeah… is that bad?"

"I wonder if you smell differently to Bill as well…" Eric mused, and then he started walking again, pulling her with him this time.

Jo resisted the urge to roll her eyes and went along with him; the sad part was she was getting used to being dragged by him. Isobel, Bill and Sookie looked over at them as Eric barreled into the room and stopped, then pointed at Jo.

"What does she smell like to you?"

"Jeez Eric, you make it sound like you're asking them if I have bad BO." Jo said, her cheeks turning pink.

"Daisies, gazpacho, and a dish from my childhood that I loved but cannot remember completely." Isobel said. "She smells unlike any other human, except for Sookie. Sunlight and –"

"Freedom." Eric finished for her. He turned and looked at Jo. "Why does Sookie smell the same to all of us, but you are different? What are you?"

"I don't know." Jo said, enunciating each word defiantly. "Stop asking me that. Whatever I am, Sookie probably is. Maybe we're aliens, or trolls, or elves."

"You're short, but you're not a troll." Eric said, exasperated.

"Can we go, or would you like to stand here and argue over this? Or perhaps we can go back to arguing about what we're going to do about the Fellowship?" Jo said as she picked up her coffee cup and took a sip. It was cold. "Do you mind if I pour this out?"

"Please." Isobel said, gesturing to the kitchen.

Jo took her coffee cup into the kitchen, removed the lid, and pour the coffee out into the sink. She was running water to clean the coffee out of the sink when she heard someone come in behind her and she turned to see Sookie.

"What's up?" Jo said, turning to throw the cup in the trash.

"What's going on between you and Eric?"

Jo looked at her curiously before leaning back against the counter. "We're working together to find Godric. I owed him a favor and this is me fulfilling it."

Sookie didn't look like she believed her. "Well, just be careful. He's bad news. He's constantly trying to get me to drink his blood."

Jo shrugged. "I have. And the attraction aside, it has somehow helped me strengthen my telepathic abilities. It's frustrating but not completely terrible."

"You've drank Eric's blood?!" Sookie exclaimed.

"Yeah, twice."

"You know that means you're connected forever, right? All it takes is one drop and he'll be able to feel your emotions and where you are forever. Why'd you do it again?"

Jo narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean, it only takes one drop? You don't have to drink more to strengthen the bond?"

Sookie looked at Jo like she was dumb. "No. All it takes one drop."

Jo pushed off of the counter and walked back through the living area.

"I'll be in the car." She said darkly before continuing out the front door, slamming it behind her.

_I'm such an idiot. He played me like a fiddle. He manipulated me like a child; played on my fear._ Jo felt a tear roll down her cheek and she wiped it away angrily. _How pathetic are you, Johana, that you're so starved for attention that you didn't see this coming?_

She jerked open the door to the SUV and climbed in, slamming it shut. She watched as Eric, Bill, and Sookie exited the house and made their way to the SUV. Bill and Sookie got in and sat down, and Eric opened Jo's door.

"Johana." He said calmly.

"Just drive us back to the fucking hotel." She replied, her voice cracking as she turned away from him and crossed her arms. Bill was staring straight ahead and Sookie was picking at a loose string on her dress.

Eric stared at her for a moment before shutting the door and settling himself in the driver's seat. They rode in silence to the hotel and once they stopped in front of the hotel, Jo got out of the car and made her way inside and to the elevator, leaving the rest of the group behind. The doors opened and she stepped inside, pressing the button for their floor. She knew that she couldn't get back in to the room without Eric, but at this point she was willing to sit outside the door until he decided to come let her in. The doors were closing when Eric slid through them quickly, making them pause and then continue closing. Jo stared straight ahead and didn't acknowledge him as he maneuvered until he was standing directly behind her.

"Would you like to inform me of what Sookie said to anger you?" He asked.

Jo scoffed. "The truth. That's what she told me." She turned around and glared up at him. "I knew you were manipulating me, and it honestly shouldn't surprise me, but it did."

"I wasn't manipulating you. I did what I thought was –"

"I swear to God, if you say you were acting in my best interest by convincing me that drinking more of your blood would help you protect me, not simply to make me more attracted to you so you can continue to use my abilities for your gain, I will hit you."

Eric decided in that moment to push her. "I did what I thought was in your best interest."

Jo felt the static in her fingertips surge and she balled her hand into a fist, stomped Eric's instep so that he bent down in surprise, and then she connected with his jaw. He grunted as he stepped back, but Jo wasn't sure whether it was in pain or disbelief.

"That felt like an electric shock." He said, staring down at her. "And you just initiated skin to skin contact."

Jo froze in fear, waiting for her mental wall to crumble, but nothing happened. She could still differentiate from other voices in her head; nothing had changed. She grabbed his hand in both of hers and then let it go. Nothing.

"There's no change. The wall is holding." She said happily, looking up at him. "You don't have that effect on me anymore!"

"For now." He said darkly. "We don't know if this is because my blood is still in your system or if it's a complete change." The elevator dinged and the doors opened. "What we do know is that I can touch you now; I can feed from you now."

Jo's heart started to race and she swallowed hard as Eric smirked and his fangs extended. She started to take a few steps back but he grabbed her, throwing her over his shoulder and marching down the hall.

"Eric!" she screamed, pounding her fists on his back. "This is not a good idea. We don't know for sure what will happen."

She heard the door lock beep and Eric stepped in the room then walked to the couch and dropped her on it. Jo huffed and got to her feet quickly, not wanting to stay down for long. Eric was staring down at her, his fangs still out, and he was smiling darkly.

"I think it's a fantastic idea. You got to hit me, and I'm pretty sure you used another ability that you're withholding, and now I get to taste you." Eric said as he reached out and swept her hair off her neck.

Jo jerked away from him and tried to step around him, but her grabbed her and had her straddling his lap as he sat in one of the armchairs in a few seconds. She put her hands on his chest and looked at him.

"Please." She said quietly. "What if you can't control yourself?"

Eric pushed her shirt off of her shoulders then pulled it off before throwing it across the room. He leaned forward and scraped his fangs across her neck gently, not breaking the skin, and she couldn't help but moan faintly.

"I've been doing this for a long time, Johana." He said against her neck, the vibrations tickling her slightly. "You have to trust me."

Jo laughed at the irony of his statement. "I'm currently upset with you because I can't trust you because you're always manipulating me!"

Eric ran his hands down her sides and cupped her bottom before pulling her until she was flush against him. Her arms automatically moved from his chest and wrapped around his shoulders as he nuzzled closer.

"Generally feeding on the willing doesn't have the same allure as someone unwilling, but I'm happy to make an exception for you."

"I'm not willing." Jo said defiantly, but the fact that she was actively resisting the urge to grind against him told another story.

"I disagree." Eric whispered as he bit down into her flesh.


End file.
